


Unplanned

by Bates_Motel_Lover



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-09-06
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:20:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2182872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bates_Motel_Lover/pseuds/Bates_Motel_Lover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Norma Bates & Alex Romero have a one night stand that changes both of their lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Norma stood in the bathroom, her back arched up against the sink, tears lightly falling down her face. She had so many thoughts running through her weak mind. It was only one time. We were both drunk. What am I going to do? What is he going to say? She knew she had to take immediate action, Norma grabbed some toilet paper and wrapped the positive test in it. She had to hide the evidence, if Norman or Dylan found a pregnancy test in the garbage she'd be flooded with questions. Luckily for Norma, she knew who the father was. Ever since they had hooked up, things had been awkward between the two. She was baffled as to how she could've gotten pregnant...he wore a condom right? Then again he could've assumed she was on the pill. Norma straightened out her skirt and headed downstairs. She looked around and made sure no one was home, when the house appeared vacant, she headed into the kitchen and dialed the phone. She had to make sure this was for real, that there was indeed going to be a baby in nine months. Norma anxiously tapped her fingers on the wall waiting for the doctor's office to pick up. 

"Hello? Dr. Castle's office" the receptionist chirped. 

"Hello, this is Norma Bates, I'm one of Dr. Castle's patients. I was wondering how soon I could book an appointment with her. It's kind of an emergency" she muttered, twirling the phone chord in her fingers. 

"We may be able to squeeze you in tomorrow morning at 6. Will that work for you?" she asked kindly. 

"That would be perfect. Thank you" she sighed in minor content, hanging up the phone. 

"Why do you need to see a doctor?" she heard, her head snapped up to see Dylan entering the kitchen. 

She cursed inwardly, feeling tears boil over in her eyes again. 

"It's nothing" she managed, Dylan took note of the sadness in her voice, making his way over to him. 

"Norma, what's going on?" he asked, placing a hand on her back. 

She pressed her forehead to the wall, letting her body shake with tears. 

"Are you sick?" he guessed, now rubbing her back. 

She shook her head slowly, still sobbing, she didn't want either of her sons to know. 

Dylan continued to console his mother, while thinking. Why would she need to go to a doctor? She wasn't sick. She couldn't be - oh shit, he thought to himself. 

"God Norma...are you pregnant?" he asked, shocked at the words coming out of his mouth. 

She turned to him, wiping her eyes, and wrapping her arms around him. He clutched back. "Are you sure?" he asked, his mouth pressed into her head. 

"I took a pregnancy test and it was positive...I booked an appointment with the doctor to make sure it was true" she explained. 

"Who's is it? I mean if you are pregnant" he asked, pulling back from her. 

She sighed. "Alex Romero's" she muttered sadly. 

"Sheriff Romero and you are sleeping together?" he asked surprised at her answer. 

"It's not like that. It was one time...we were both drunk. God, I feel so irresponsible" she scoffed, shaking her head. 

"What are you going to do if this is for real?" he asked. 

"I could never abort it...and I don't think I'd have the heart to give it up for adoption" she sighed, rubbing her forehead. 

"You know you need to tell Romero" he warned 

"I know that...I know I have to tell him. I just don't know how..." she said, plopping down in the kitchen chair. 

"Just ease into it, explain to him that you were both drunk and didn't know what you were doing" he said, pouring a glass of water for her. 

"When did you become so grown up?" she asked, smiling at him. 

"I guess I just know how to stay in control" he exclaimed. 

"One thing is for sure, you can't tell Norman" she warned, glaring at him. 

"Norma, if your pregnant, he's going to find out sooner or later. What are you going to say? You just gained tons of weight?" 

"I'll tell him on my own terms, okay?" she asked. 

"Fine. Just know that...that you can talk to me if you need any help" he said nodding at his own words, a mannerism that he inherited from Norma herself. 

She smiled adoringly, rising up from her seat and making her way over to him. She locked her arms around him and kissed his forehead. 

"I love you, Dylan"   
… 

It was early the next morning, every bit of Norma was praying that she wasn't pregnant, that the universe was just fucking with her. She rose from bed, got dressed, and quietly crept out of the house. On her way to the doctors, all she could think about was Alex. If she was pregnant, he would have to know, it was just a matter of telling him. When she reached the office, she took a deep breathe and exited the car. 

She walked inside and approached the front desk. "I'm Norma Bates, I have an appointment with Dr. Castle" she announced, her nervous eyes darting all around the room. 

"Of course, Mrs. Bates. You can head right in" she smiled at her. 

"Thank you" she murmured, as she descended the front office and headed in the back to see her doctor. 

Norma sat on the vacant chair in Dr. Castle's office, waiting for her, fiddling with her fingers. 

"Hello, Mrs. Bates" she greeted, as she walked into the office shutting the door behind her. 

"Dr. Castle" she nodded, giving her a shy smile. 

"What is the meaning of your visit today?" she asked, taking her clipboard out. 

"Well...I took a home pregnancy test and it came out positive. I just need to clarify that it was true" she explained, stumbling over her words. 

"Sure, I can get that clarified for you right away" she smiled, getting up, and rummaging through her medicine cabinet. She pulled back and handed her an empty cup. 

"I'm going to need a urine sample from you". 

"Okay" she mumbled, taking the cup from her grudgingly, and heading out of the office towards the bathroom. 

She returned a few minutes later with a full sample. "I'll send this to the lab and they should have your results by later tonight. Now, if the results come back positive, I want you to book another appointment so I can give you an ultrasound and a prescription for some pre-natal vitamins" she informed. 

"Thank you" she smiled, taking her purse and leaving the office.   
… 

Norma spent the majority of the day pacing around the house nervously and absentmindedly cleaning up. For once, she was pleased that had a day alone. Norman had been out with Emma and Dylan had to help Remo guard the warehouse that night. 

Once she heard the home phone ring, she felt her heart go into overdrive. She slowly walked to it and answered with shaky fingers. "Hello?" she murmured nervously. 

"Hello, Mrs. Bates. This is Dr. Castle. I wanted to inform you that your results did come back positive" she announced cheerfully. 

Norma felt her heart stop, her palms started sweating, and tears automatically fell from her eyes. 

"Would you like to book an appointment for the ultrasound and the vitamins?" she asked hesitantly. 

"Sure" she chocked, trying to maintain her composure over the phone. 

"How does next Thursday work for you?" the doctor asked. 

"Sounds fine" she said, hanging up the phone. 

Norma wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She walked outside, looking down at room 11. Alex's SUV was in the parking lot and his light was on. She took another inhale of breath and walked down the steps towards his room. 

She finally gained some courage and knocked on his door. He opened almost immediately, a bit surprised to see her. "Norma, what can I do for you?" he asked, scanning her with his eyes. 

"Alex...we need to talk" she mumbled, playing with the sleeve of her shirt, feeling nauseous. 

"Okay, well, come on inside" he said, opening the door for her. 

She walked in, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. 

"So, what's up?" he asked, sitting next to her. 

Norma looked at him, just examining his face with her beautiful blue eyes. 

"I need to tell you something" she sighed, feeling a tear trickle down her face. 

He looked at her with compassion and confusion in his eyes. "What is it?" he asked. 

"Do you remember the night we...were together?" she asked, her heart ready to explode. 

He nodded, keeping his eyes on her. 

She sighed and bit her bottom lip anxiously, she knew she had to tell him, it was his baby just as much as it was hers. 

"Alex" she murmured, before sobbing again. He pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her, she let him rock her for a few minutes. 

She pulled away and looked into his eyes. 

"I'm pregnant" she wept, wiping her eyes. 

All Alex could do was look at her, his mouth open a bit, and his eyes filled with question. 

"What?" he whispered in shock. 

"I took a pregnancy test yesterday and it came out positive, I still wasn't sure so I went to the doctor today, and they told me I was" she explained, knitting her hands in her skirt. 

"How did this happen?" he asked himself. 

"Alex, we were both drunk out of our minds. Do you remember using a condom?" she asked, trying to make eye contact with him. 

"Of course I used a condom. That's why I'm shocked" he said, dropping his head in his hands. 

"Well, it probably broke. And I wasn't on the pill..." she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "What the hell are we going to do?" she asked. 

"Look...don't worry. We'll figure something out"


	2. Chapter 2

Alex paced the floor of his motel room, while Norma watched him still perched on the edge of his bed. 

"So...what exactly are we going to do?" she asked nervously. 

"We have options. Being adults, we know what those three options are. The question is, what do you want to do?" he asked, rubbing his temple. 

"I can't get an abortion, Alex. I just...I can’t do that. Giving it up for adoption would be smart but I don't think I could handle it, one of my children being raised by someone else. How would you feel about keeping it?" she asked, partially eyeing him. 

"Scared...I mean...I've never raised a child" he replied, rubbing his forehead. 

"Well, it's not like you'd be doing it alone" she scoffed. 

"I just...I need some time to think" he said. 

"I understand" she sighed, making her way to the door. 

Alex sat on the bed, with is hands over his face. A baby? He was having a baby with Norma Bates. He cursed himself for not being more aware the night they had sex, it was a heat of the moment thing, protection was the furthest thing from his aroused mind. He knew he had to be there for his child, he was not the kind of man who walked away from responsibility. Of course, Alex wanted children but only when he settled down, found the right person, and married her. Then again, it's not like he felt nothing for Norma, the night they slept together wasn't necessarily on impulse, he'd wanted to do it for a long time. He rolled over on his side, staring at the wall. He was going to be a father in a matter of eight months. 

… 

The Thursday of Norma's doctors appointment, she took a shower and dawned her best floral dress. The reality that she was pregnant was finally kicking in with hormones and morning sickness to prove it. When she headed outside to her car ready to leave, she glanced over at Alex's SUV. Was he off today? She wondered silently. She walked over to his motel room and knocked on the door, he opened attentively. 

"Hey" he said, gazing at her. 

"Hey. Um...I was heading to my doctors appointment, I'm going to see an ultrasound of the baby. Do you maybe want to come with me?" she asked coyly, looking down at the ground. 

"Of course" he nodded, shutting his motel room door behind him as he stepped outside next to her. 

They awkwardly made their way to her car and climbed inside, she started the engine and they pulled out of the parking lot. 

"So, how have you been feeling that past couple of days?" he asked, glancing at her stomach. 

"Just really nauseous, lots of morning sickness. And tired...all I want to do is sleep" she chuckled. 

He smiled at her. "Is that normal?" he asked. 

She nodded. "I felt the same way when I was pregnant with Dylan" she replied, pulling into the doctors office parking lot. "Have you ever seen an ultrasound?" she asked curiously as they stepped out of the car. 

He shook his head, opening the office door for her. She smiled at him and they made their way inside. Norma stepped up to the front desk again. "I have an appointment with Dr. Castle" she smiled at the receptionist who remembered her face. 

"Of course, Mrs. Bates. You can head in" she grinned, closing her appointment book. 

Norma headed into the back office, while Alex followed close behind nervously, he didn't know what to expect. 

"Hello, Mrs. Bates. Why don't you lie down on the examination table and we'll see what you have in there" she smiled, getting the gel ready. 

Norma did as she said and hopped up on the table, lying on her back. 

"And are you daddy?" she asked, shaking his hand. 

"I am" he said, giving her a tight lipped smile. 

"Why don't you take a seat?" she offered, motioning to the chair by Norma's side. 

He nodded and made his way over to her, sitting down and staring at the black screen. 

Dr. Castle shut the light off and sat next to the ultrasound screen. She lifted up Norma's dress to reveal her stomach, there was no bump yet but she certainly looked pudgier. She squirted the cool gel on her belly and rubbed it around with the transducer. She flicked the screen on, searching for the baby. She tapped the screen gently with her index finger. "See that small oval shape? That's your baby" she smiled, moving the device on her stomach. 

"Wow" Alex whispered in amazement, Norma look over at him smiling. 

He didn't expect to feel that way when he saw his child on the screen, there was no face or sound but he still thought it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. 

"Is this your first?" the doctor asked, keeping the device on the area where the fetus was most prevalent. 

"I have two sons, but this is his first child" she grinned, reaching for his hand, he took it and gripped a little, keeping his eyes on the screen. 

"That's sweet" she smiled at the two of them and looked at Norma. "We need to do a vaginal exam after this, just to make sure that everything is okay, no cysts or signs of   
an atopic pregnancy" she said, flicking the machine off and taking out the ultrasound probe. 

"Put your feet in the stirrups for me?" she asked. 

Norma did as she asked, feeling immense pressure on her cervix. She winced a bit at the feel. "Are you okay?" Alex asked, holding her hand tighter. 

"Yep...just a bit of pressure" she said through gritted teeth. 

Dr. Castle flicked on the screen again, taking a look. After a few minutes, she turned it off and took the device out of her. "Well...as I suspected, everything is looking fine" she smiled. 

Norma chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good to know" she said, smiling at the doctor. 

Dr.Castle turned her back, taking out a prescription pad and a pen, jotting something down and ripping the paper off. "This is your prescription for the prenatal vitamins I referred to on the phone earlier this week. I'll call the local pharmacy and place your order, all you have to do is pick them up a little later, okay?" she asked cheerfully, a large grin on her young face. 

"Thank you" she smiled, getting up from the examination table and re-zipping her skirt. She fixed her collar and slung her purse back over her arm. 

Alex rose from the chair, following Norma out of the doctor's office. As they headed back outside, she smiled at him. "What did you think?" she asked gleefully, opening her car door. 

"It was pretty exhilarating" he said, still in awe, entering the car with her. 

She started the engine and turned to him, "I'm happy you thought so". 

… 

It was later in the afternoon and Norma was feeling extremely nauseous. She had been leaned over the toilet for half and hour, retching. When she heard a knock at the front door, she let out a groan, wiping her mouth. She made her way to the hallway feeling her knees numb from kneeling on the hard bathroom floor, she tried to walk heavier to get the feeling back in them. Pushing the messy hair out of her face, she flung the front door open to see Alex. 

"Hey Norma, I know you were supposed to get those vitamins that your doctor was talking about this afternoon. I didn't see your car leave the lot and I got worried" he explained, showing obvious concern. 

She cleared her throat. "I'm just very nauseous...I haven't been feeling so good since this morning" she replied. 

"I'll tell you what, why don't you go and relax? I'll run to the store and pick up your prescription" 

"Oh Alex, you really don't have to - " 

"Norma, you don't feel well, you should be resting. I'll be back in ten minutes" he said, already descending the stairs of her house. 

She smiled to herself, grateful to Alex. 

...

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Alex was back in her hallway. She rose from the couch and made her way over to him, a full bag in his hands. "What's all this?" she asked, observing the size of the bag. 

"Well..." he started, making his way into the living room. "I know you told me you were nauseous, so I talked to the pharmacist. He recommended a few things that could help, I got you some ginger ale, saltines, lollipops, and peppermint tea" he said, placing the items on the table. 

Suddenly, Norma's eyes overflowed with tears, she was openly sobbing within a matter of seconds. Alex looked at her, worried. "Norma...what's wrong?" he asked softly. 

"I'm just so grateful for you" she wept, wiping her eyes and sniffling. "I'm sorry, these damn hormones are killing me" she laughed a bit, walking over to him. 

She pulled him to her in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much, Alex" she praised, pulling away and reading the back of the prenatal vitamin bottle. 

"It's not a problem" he said, turning back towards the front door. "If you need anything at all just come down to my room" he reassured her. 

"Thank you"


	3. Chapter 3

Norman came home one night from Emma's. The second he walked in the door, all he smelt something pungent and fishy...crab? He walked into the hallway until finally reaching the kitchen. He observed his mother, sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of crab cakes covered in wasabi. 

"Mother?" he asked, watching her eat the food in front of her. 

"Hi honey. How was your day?" she questioned with her mouth full, a crooked smile on her face. 

"It was fine" he replied, sitting in the chair across from her. "I thought you hated crab?" he asked raising an eyebrow. 

Norma's stomach dropped as she swallowed. She had yet to tell Norman she was expecting, as he stared across the table at her now, she knew it was time to let him in on her secret. It was killing her, keeping something like this from him. 

"I was craving it" she admitted, poking her fork at the food, her eyes glued to her plate in hesitation. 

"Craved it?" he chuckled. 

"Yeah craved it...haven't you ever craved something before?" she chuckled. "You know...when I was pregnant with you, I craved a plethora of things. Everything from pickles and ice cream to broccoli dipped in chocolate" she sighed, nudging her head up to attempt eye contact. 

"Yeah, but you were pregnant" he laughed, flashing her an adoring smile. 

She sat in silence for a moment, looking up at him with a sad look on her face, she let out a deep breath. "Norman" she started, hoping he would take the hint. 

All he could do was look at her, his mouth gaping open a bit. "Are you joking?" he asked. 

"No honey, I'm not" she replied, cocking her head to one side. 

"When did you...? Who's the father?" he asked, his eyes wide open and alert. 

"Alex Romero" she murmured, now trying to avoid eye contact, she was terrified of what his reaction might be. "It’s not what you think. We had too much to drink one night and started talking...and we ended up having sex. It was unprotected and stupid...so stupid of us" she said, now letting tears stream down her face. 

"Oh, mother" he said, rising from the chair and making his way to her, clutching her in a hug. "It's going to be okay" he comforted her, rubbing her back. 

"I'm so scared, Norman" she wept, her body trembling with tears. 

"You don’t have to be mother, I'll be right here to help you...with everything" he mumbled. 

"I love you so much" she sniffled, kissing his cheek. She pulled away, rubbing her thumb along his cheek. "But, your only a teenager. This baby isn't your responsibility. It's on Alex and I to parent him or her" she said. 

"I understand, mom. But if you ever need me, I'll always be right here" he exclaimed, leaning in to kiss her cheek again. 

She looked at him, her eyes filled with awe. 

"You’re a good boy, Norman. I can't imagine living without you" she smiled, running her fingers through his hair. 

"Me either. I love you more than anything else in this entire world" he praised, keeping his eyes focused on her. 

They stood silent for a few moments, Norma adoring her son quietly and Norman trying to absorb the information his mother gave him. 

"It's late and you have school in the morning. You should head to bed so you get your nine hours" she said breaking the silence between the two. 

"Yes, mother. And don't worry...it will all be okay" he replied, leaning in to kiss her cheek. 

She gave his an adoring smile. "I love you honey, good night" she said, watching him exit the kitchen and head upstairs. 

As she sat back down, Norma felt a huge weight lifted off her stomach. She had finally told Norman, the thing she was most frightened of doing for weeks. Honestly, the way he took the news was surprising to her...she could've sworn he would get angry. Maybe because this baby wasn't created on purpose, Norma would never refer to one of her children as an accident, she dropped a hand to her pudgy stomach and thought hard. This baby was a happy thing, at least to her. 

… 

Three days later, Norma was watering the plants outside the motel. She was feeling good, her morning sickness got a lot better and she felt less tired...the hormones and eating like a ravenous animal were still existent however. 

"Norma?" she heard behind her, when she turned Alex was standing there in casual clothes. 

"Hi" she smiled, dropping the watering can by her feet. 

"How are you doing? How's the baby?" he asked quietly. 

"We're good. I'm feeling a lot better, those prenatal vitamins have helped so much" she exclaimed. 

"That's great" he replied, a small smile on his face. "Can we actually talk? In private?" he asked, moving closer to her. 

"Of course. Why don’t we go up to my house? Norman is at school and Dylan in working" she explained. 

He simply nodded and followed her as they made their way up the stairs to her home. She led him into the kitchen where they took a seat at the kitchen table. "Can I get you anything?" she offered. 

"I'm fine, you shouldn't be on your feet so much anyway" he murmured, his eyes drifting to her stomach. 

"Oh Alex, I'm fine...the baby is the size of a peanut" she giggled, pressing her back against the chair. "So, what did you want to talk about?". 

"The baby...what we are going to do once it's born" he started, clearing his throat. 

"Well, I figure by that time your house will be re-built and you only live ten minutes away. We could switch off...the baby gets to stay with me a few times a week and then stay with you for a few times a week" she offered. 

"I suppose that's best" he muttered, fiddling with his jacket sleeve. 

She sighed audibly, causing Alex to look at her. "You know, I'm not exactly thrilled about having a baby either, but at least I show a little enthusiasm. You need to have a little more input here. Are you really comfortable with only seeing your child a few times a week?" she asked irritated. 

He shrugged, looking at her with wide eyes. 

"Look, I don’t care if you regret it or not...that night in your motel room happened, Alex. We conceived a child together, we're both grown adults, and we should both be taking an active interest. If you don't plan on being an involved father, than leave right now" she warned, standing up from the table. 

"Norma, my god" he sighed, rubbing his head. "Of course I'm going to take care of my kid" he said. "Believe it or not...but I love that baby your carrying. I knew it when I went to the ultra sound with you, I never felt that way about anything before" he admitted, eyes now locked on her stomach. 

"Really?" she asked, in awe of his response. 

"Yes...and I'm going to do everything I can to take care of him or her and make sure they grow up happy" he exclaimed, looking at her. 

"That's all I wanted to hear from you" she replied. 

"Now, why don't I take you out for dinner and we can talk more about it?" he asked, rising from the table. 

"I'd like that"


	4. Chapter 4

Soon enough, Alex and Norma made it to a small restaurant a few miles away from the motel and placed their orders, they sat across the table just looking at one another. 

"So, are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" he asked, drinking water from the glass their waitress dropped in front of him. 

"I'm dying to have a girl this time...don't get me wrong I'll love my baby no matter what gender it is but it would be nice. What about you?" she asked, playing with a loose string on her shirt. 

"I don't care about gender, I just want it to be healthy" he said, giving Norma a tiny smile. 

"Do you have any names in mind? Something that you like...I'm trying to make a list and I know it's early but I always like to pick them in my first trimester" she giggled, twirling a strand of her hair. 

"Well...I've always liked the names Jack or Aidan for a boy" he said. 

"I like those too, they aren't overused" she replied, grinning at him. 

"Did you have any girl names that you’ve always liked?". 

"Natalie, Harper, and Gia" she smiled, her eyes shining bright. 

"Those are all beautiful as well" he grinned. "I think I like Harper the most though". 

She smiled at him and stayed silent. If she was being honest, she liked the company, his company that is. Norma knew she had obvious feelings for Alex, he was handsome and kind once you got to know him. She cleared her throat, breaking the silence. 

"Did you ever want kids?" she asked, resting her head in her palm. 

"Of course I did...maybe not under these circumstances but I'm starting to come to terms with it" he explained. 

"I never thought I was going to have another baby...but here we are" she clicked her tongue and sipped on her water. 

"What is it like? Taking care of a newborn I mean?" he asked. 

"It's a whole mixture of emotions. Sometimes it's scary and others times it's amazing...one of the best jobs you could ever have in the entire world. Raising a child is a beautiful thing, especially when you hold your baby for the first time..." she explained, sighing happily. 

As Alex stared at her, he watched her beautiful eyes glisten a lighter shade of blue as she reflected on motherhood. He had never seen this side of Norma Bates...she was deep and actually loving. Ever since she got pregnant, her face had a glow to it, only making her more beautiful than she was. 

"I think I could get used to that" 

… 

Once they arrived back at the motel, Alex walked Norma back up to her door. The stood on the porch looking at each other. 

"I had a really nice time tonight" she smiled, placing her hand on the door handle. 

He gently put her hand on her upper arm, causing her to look at him suddenly with question in her eyes. "I did too" he smiled, dropping a kiss on her cheek. 

She nodded, grinning slightly at him. She walked in her house, shutting the door behind her. As she watched him walk down the front steps of her home, she grazed her fingertips over the spot he kissed and smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. 

… 

Early one morning in the office, Emma sat taking numerous reservations when Norma walked in. She smiled at her immediately. 

"Hi, Norma" she greeted, jotting down some reservation times in the booking notebook. 

"Hello, honey. How are you?" she asked, moving into the back office. 

"I'm fine, really tired though...senior year is taking a lot out of me" she giggled, dropping her pen and turning to Norma. "How have you been?". 

Norma looked at her, she was an early 15 weeks along in her pregnancy, and still hadn't told Emma. She was starting to feel awful about harboring the secret from her. 

She always looked at Emma like she was her own daughter. Briefly and unnoticeably she ran her fingertips over her stomach, there was now a small bump forming. She let   
out a small sigh and turned to the side, pulling her cardigan away and arching her back a bit. Norma looked at Emma as she revealed her tiny bump, self disappointment in   
her eyes. 

Emma just stared in shock at Norma's obvious baby bump. Inside she had a million different thoughts. Who's baby is that? Why wouldn't Norma tell her? How far along was she? Emma cleared her throat and cleared her head before asking Norma anything, not wanting her to regret reveling her secret. 

"Really?" she asked in a hushed whisper. 

"Yeah" she answered back, a hint of excitement in her voice. In the past weeks, Norma had come to love the baby more and more. 

Silently, she moved closer to Emma, sticking her mini bump out. "You can feel if you want to" she said, keeping her eyes locked on her belly. 

Emma smiled, slowly placing her hand on her stomach. A huge smile grew on her face, as she felt her bump. "How far along are you?" she asked excitedly. 

"15 weeks" she grinned, but it quickly fell into a tiny frown. "Your not upset that I didn't tell you sooner, right?" she asked, biting her lower lip. 

"No, not at all, Norma" she smiled, clutching her into a hug. "Congratulations" she exclaimed cheerfully. 

"Thank you" she responded. When they broke, she placed a hand on her stomach. 

"So...who's the lucky father?" she asked, turning back to the front desk. 

"Alex Romero" she answered truthfully, rummaging through some old files in the back office. 

"Really? I didn't know you and Sheriff Romero were an item" she laughed. 

She walked back out to the front, with a box of papers in her hand. "We aren't" she replied, placing the file box on the desk. 

Emma nodded awkwardly, writing down more times in the check in book. 

"I'm going out for a few hours. Do you think you could organize the files in that box while I'm gone?" she asked, motioning to the files. 

"Yeah, of course" she smiled, watching her leave. 

… 

Norma headed towards room 11, knocking and waiting for Alex to come out. 

He opened up and smiled at Norma. "Hey" he said. 

"Hi, I'm going to look for paints and stencils for the nursery. Do you want to help me?" she offered, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. 

"Sure, I'd love to" he replied, stepping back inside to grab his coat. 

He left his room, shutting the door behind him. 

"Let's go".


End file.
